JULIO A. LAVERGNE, Ph.D.Educational Background:

Licenciate in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry, University of Costa Rica, 1970 Ph. D.
Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, 1979

Academic Position:

Professor of Immunology

Academic Address, Telephone & E-Mail:

Dept. of Microbiology and Zoology,
University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine,
P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, P.R. 00936-5067.
Phone: (787)758-2525 ext. 2098 or lab. 1312
(Direct) (787)758-9290
Fax: (787) 758-4808
E-mail: jlavergne@rcm.upr.edu

Field of Interest:

Molecular mechanisms of resistance to Apoptosis in HIV-chronically-infected cells.

Selected Publications:

Novo, E, García, MI, and Lavergne, JA: Nonspecific immunity in Down Syndrome: A study on chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative metabolism and cell surface marker expression of polymorphonuclear cells. Am. J. Medical Genetics, Vol. 46:384-391, 1993
del Llano, AM, Amieiro, JP, Kraiselburd, E, Kessler, M, Málaga, C, and Lavergne, JA : The combined assessment of cellular apoptosis , mitochondrial function and proliferative responses to PWM has prognostic value in SIV infection. J. Med. Primatology, 22:194-200, 1993.
del Llano, AM and Lavergne, JA : Effect of heat-shock on the mitogenic responses of Rhesus monkeys peripheral blood lymphocytes and IL-2 dependent CTLL-2 cells. Puerto Rico Health Sci. Journal, 12:175-181, 1993.
del Llano, AM, Zorrilla, C, and Lavergne, JA : Multifunctional immunological monitoring of HIV-positive patients: A novel staging system. Puerto Rico Health Sci. Journal, 12:277-281, 1993.
del Llano, AM and Lavergne, JA : Why do cells die in HIV infection? Potential mechanisms inducing programmed cell death/apoptosis. Puerto Rico Health Sci. Journal, 13:79-124, 1994.
Lavergne, JA, Zorrilla, C, and del Llano, AM : Decreased levels of TNF-B in cultured PBLs from HIV+ patients occur concomitantly to their increased apoptosis and impaired PWM-induced proliferation and dehydrogenase activity. Immunological Investigations, 25:279-289, 1996.
Garcia , M, del Llano, AM, Saavedra, S and Lavergne, JA : Nitric oxide inhibitors prevent apoptosis in PBMC from HIV- positive subjects. Submitted to: Immunological Investigations, 2000.
Quesada, M, Saavedra, S, del Llano, AM and Lavergne, JA : Inhibition of jacalin-induced apoptosis in PBMC of HIV+ subjects, by the nitric oxide inhibitor L-NMMA. Submitted to: Puerto Rico Health Sci. Journal, 2000.
Cruz,E, del Llano, AM, Antoun, M and Lavergne, JA : Regulation of apoptosis in a HIV-1 chronically infected T cell clone. Submitted to: Immunological Investigations, 2000.